Thumbs up to the organizers of the REVOLUTION3 triathlon to be held in Old Orchard Beach in August, and the local officials who helped bring the event to southern Maine. At a recent press conference, organizers said the event will draw hundreds of participants and likely their family and friends to the coastal community, providing an economic boost at the end of the summer season.

We hope the triathlon is a success and becomes an Old Orchard Beach tradition.

Thumbs up to Wells Elementary School for winning one of the nation’s highest school nutrition awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. John Magnarelli, the USDA’s top regional school lunch official, was at the school recently to congratulate staff and students on their efforts to be healthy and award them the Silver Award for the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge. Only about 3 percent of 101,000 schools in the nation have achieved HealthierUS status at the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Gold of Distinction levels. Wells-Ogunquit Community School District Nutrition Services Director Tyler Goodwin said the district continues to move toward a healthier, more nutritious lunch program by offering students healthy options and teaching them about the benefits of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in a balanced diet.

Thumbs up and good luck to the three lucky winners of the Main Street Challenge, hosted by the Heart of Biddeford, the City of Biddeford and local businesses. Michael Macomber of Saco plans to open a store that will sell books, coffee, wine and beer and host evening events. Jennifer Thibeau and Wes Rhames plan to open a vegetarian café called Dahlia’s Delights. And Tote Road, an existing business owned by David and Rebekah Clark that makes hand-carved wood products, will expand their business by leasing a retail space and possibly more workspace. Each of the winners will be eligible for a $10,000 forgivable loan from the city’s Tax Increment Financing District fund, a low-interest bank loan, and six months of free rent in addition to other in-kind services from local businesses and organizations.

Thumbs up to rapper and inspirational speaker Darius Weems for spreading inspiration throughout York County. Weems made an appearance at Biddeford Middle School last week to speak with students about his experience and why he remains positive about life. The 22-year-old from Athens, Ga. is wheelchair-bound, and has been since he was a teenager, due to his diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle-wasting disease and one of the most severe forms of muscular dystrophy. His brother also had the disease and died at the age of 19. Weems says one of the driving forces in his life is his brother’s memory ”“ the smile that remained on his face and the positive attitude he maintained up until his death. In addition to inspiring young people, Weems is raising money through his visits to support research for muscular dystrophy in hopes of finding a cure.

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Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you want to respond, feel free to write to the Readers’ Forum via email at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.